Bank credit to rickshaw-pullers, betel-nut traders planned
Bangladesh Bank (BB) has decided to use a part of its Tk 200 crore refinancing scheme formed to provide credit to ‘Tk 10’ account holders. Rickshaw-pullers, betel-nut and bidi traders, tea-stall owners, cobblers or hawkers will have access to this credit, thanks to the central bank’s financial inclusion initiative.
“The rate of interest will be at 6 percent and an individual will be able to take maximum Tk 40,000 as loan” , said a senior officer of the central bank .
Taranco to meet Hasina, Khaleda this evening
UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Oscar Fernández Taranco will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at 4pm at her official residence Ganobhaban and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia at her Gulshan residence at 7pm on Saturday, according to PMO and BNP sources.
Taranco arrived here in Dhaka on Friday evening amid the country’s murky political situation that has cast a shadow on its January-5 general election.
Taranco reached HazratShahjalalInternationalAirport around 8:05 pm by an Emirates flight.
His visit is aimed at encouraging ‘dialogue and conditions’ conducive to parliamentary elections scheduled for January 5, said a statement issued by UN Resident Coordinator in Dhaka, Neal Walker.
Onion hits kitchen market with increase by Tk 25 per kg
The onion price rose by Tk 25 per kg by the weekend and was selling at Tk 115 per kg which is considered to be shock of the nationwide blockade. The imported onion was found selling slightly at lower rate.
The blockade has also contributed to the rise of vegetables’ price since none of the products was selling below Tk 40 on Friday. However, there was abundance of supplies.
Shamim Ahmed, a wholesaler said at Karwan Bazar that huge quantities of vegetables had been rotten in different parts of the country, including Bogra and Jessore. So, producers have increased the price to recover losses.
3-day national mourning for Mandela
The government announced a three-day national mourning from Saturday to pay homage to iconic anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela of South Africa.
“The government has announced a three-day national mourning starting from Saturday in memory of Nelson Mandela,” Cabinet Secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told UNB over phone on Friday.
The national flag will be kept at half-mast at all government, semi-government and autonomous bodies during the period...